Final Fantasy VII 1. Teaser

disclaimer: I, Chibi Hime do not own any final fantasy VII characters, however, Lily, Yuki, Elisa and John belong to me! Don't touch them without my permission, thanks!  
TEASER :)  
Cid Highwind made his way quickly to the mailbox at the gate of the white picket fence that surrounded his small house on the outskirts of Rocket Town. His wife of almost two years, Shera, loved the little white fence. Cid hated it, it was a tribute to sissery and was far to girly for him, but if his daling Shera liked it, he was willing to make sacrifices, even if it did immasculate him. He sought solace in the mail he quickly pulled from the box. He lit up a cigarette and began to read the addresses aloud to himself.  
"Bill, shit! You go in the garbage disposal as soon as I get my ass back in the house,"  
"Mr. Cid Highwind, You could have just won 10,000,000 gil. Yeah, in a rat's ass,"  
"Please donate to Aviation Affecionados: A father/son bonding troop. Sounds like something little boys and their pansy-ass daddies do on sunny afternoons,"  
"Missing for two weeks, Have You Seen Me? Yuki Hojo, age 17, height 5' 3''. Eyes:Orange, Hair:Black. Ah, good riddance, at least she doesn't look like her father, (shudder)."  
A small cream colored envelope caught his eye. It was addressed to him and Shera and was written in beautiful calligraphy and smelled of flowers. He quickly opened it, as he did, several dried flower petals fluttered to the ground unleashing a rich and blissful aroma from the envelope. The small card within the envelope was an invitation, written in the same beautiful handwriting as the outside, Cid momentarily marveled at its perfection before reading the invitation. It read:  
Dear Cid and Shera Highwind,  
Vincent Valentine and Lily Newlite cordially invite you to Costa Del Sol for their celebration of Holy Matrimony at the Our Lady of the Waters Cathedral on May 12 at five p. m.   
"I'll be damned," Cid thought ouloud to himself."Vincent' going to marry that nurse he met while at the hydroelectric plant in Junon. Who'da thunk it?"  
He turned toward the house and rather unceremoniously shouted to Shera,"Hey, Shera, Baby! Guess Who's getting married? Old Freaky deak Valentine! This is something I gotta see,"  
"Cid, be nice," a calm voice, accostomed to the outbursts came from the open kitchen window,"Come have some tea darling, we can discuss this quietly. I don't think your close friend would want you shouting about his personal life at such a high decibel level,"  
"Coming Shera, the love of my life," He replied sweetly.  
"Oh, Cid," came from the window, followed by a girlish giggle.  
Cid headed back up the path to his front door. He entered his home and proceeded to hide the bill on top of the grandfather clock (Shera wasn't tall enough to reach the top, which is why he used it for a hiding place) that had been a wedding present from Reeve. He couldn't understand why people gave you the most pointless shit for wedding presents? What the hell did a grandfather clock have to do with getting married? He'd never figured it out, but at least Vincent had given them a decent present, a beautifully carved statue of a man and woman sharing an intimate kiss. Cid wasn't a "soft" man, but he felt the statue was perfect, he loved it best of all the presents, especially when its competitors were things like a grandfather clock and a blender (a gift from Tifa, What the hell?)   
He and Shera spent the rest of the morning talking about the invitation, Lily and plans for traveling. Shera got very excited and went out to buy a wedding present, she came back with baby crib and a stuffed Carbuncle. Cid was dumbfounded.  
"Why the hell did you buy them that? They're not even married yet and you buy the a f%@&*ing baby crib?"  
"Women't intuition. Besides, you needed a hint to start thinking about something,"  
"Ouch."  
  
  
To Be Continued 


	2. Engagement in more ways than one

5 weeks prior to letter arrival  
  
  
Lily could tell that Vincent was thinking about something. He'd barely said a word during dinner and he seemed to be constantly fiddling with something in his pocket. After dinner, he had immediately asked for the check and insisted they walk to his favorite fountain in the park. They were now standing in front of the fountain, which was in the shepe of an angel with am urn, from the urn flowed water from a spring below the surface. It was beautiful, but she'd been here many times with Vincent. Why would he want to come here so suddenly? and why did he seem tobe perspiring so very perfusely when it was barely over seventy degrees farenheit? She smiled, He must be planning something, I'll just ask and find out what this is all about, she thought.  
"Vincent, why are you so tense tonight? You must have something on your mind. Otherwise, you'd be your normal somewhat less serious self, am I right? Eh? Vincent? Look at me,"  
Vincent Valentine turned his head to look Lily straight in the eye. Kami-sama! he thought, She's so perfect! What did she ever see in me? she could have anyone, but there's only one person I want to be with for the rest of my life and thank Kami-sama I think she feels the same.  
"Lily?"  
"Yes, Vincent?"  
He got down on one knee, as tradition dictated and said the most difficult words he had ever said to anyone.  
"Lily, will you marry me?"  
"Oh, Vincent-"  
Her hesitation made the few brief moments feel like the most agonizing hours of his existence. Would she reject him? Would she push him away? Would she say yes? The suspense was pure agony, any answer would be better than this!   
"Oh, Vincent, of course! Of course I'll marry you!"  
He looked at her in mild disbelief. She'd actually said it, meant it. He looked deep into her blue eyes, the bluest he'd ever seen and noticed that they were overflowing with tears Lily suddenly rushed forward and threw her arms around him, he stumbled backward in surprise and returned her embrace.  
"Oh, Vincent, i'm so happy! I waited for ou to ask me! Thank-You!"  
He felt himself choking up. His own crimson eyes were welling up with tears, he'd never imagined such a heartfelt response. He loved Lily so much more than anyone he'd ever met. She was kind, humorous, honest and loving. No one had ever loved him the way she did, he was sure of it. She had never said anything rude to him or hesitated to look at him or touch him as most people did. She was always very straight forward, no secret schemes, no selfish gains, just Lily. And Lily was the only thing he'd ever need.  
"Lily, you're making me cry," he laughed and sniffed.  
"Vincent, I love you,"  
He let th words sink in, three simple words that held little meaning by themselves, but held together the very fabric of his existence when they were placed together.  
"I love you too, Lily,"  
The two remained in front of the fountain where hey had been standing for several more minutes before they continued walking down the street. Unbeknownst to the couple, a woman in a black suit was watching them from afar. Her platinum blonde hair was drawn ino a tight bun withchopstick hair ornaments stuck into it and her menacing icy eyes seemed to glow with a strange loathing. A cellular phone at her waist rang, she quickly picked it up and pressed "speak".   
"Elisa? Anything on the Creation?"  
"Affirmitive,"  
"Are we a go ahead?"  
"No, the woman is with him, they're heading to the train station, I'll follow and board the train, then I'll call you and we can take it down together. You've been wanting to fully exert your power on someone for a long time haven't you, John,"  
"Indeed I have, Elisa,"  
"Well, looks like you'll get what you want in the end,"  
"Indeed again, the Progeny was such a dissappointment. She was so easy to acquire, there wasn't even a Turk to fight. However, if the reports are right, this will be a fight to remember,"  
"Don't overdo it, John. We need the Creation alive, just like the Progeny,"  
"Yes, I know. Well, get following them,"  
"On it."  
2 hours later  
"John, are you there?"  
"Affirmitive, Ms. Elisa,"  
"They're boarding a train to Midgar. Meet me there and be ready to intercept,"  
"With the most exquisite of pleasures I can imagine,"  
"Elisa signing off,"  
Elisa bought a ticket for the same train she had seen Lily and Vincent board, she followed suit and quickly boarded minutes before the train left. lily and vincent were blissfully unaware of the danger in their car, a danger under the guise of a woman in a black suit, Elisa of the Black Turks.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Gasp! What is Elisa and John's ghastly plan for Vincent? Who is the Progeny? What will Lily say when she discovers Vincent's secret? It's all coming soon!  
Chibi Hime 


	3. Revelation

Chapter 3 Revelation  
  
Vincent and Lily walked through the streets. It was getting late and they decided had to find a hotel before they were   
  
forced to spend the weekend with friends. A crack of thunder caused them to hasten the pace. They both walked quickly,   
  
chatting and laughing about the events of the day. Lily clung to VincentÕs left arm and rested her head on the side of his   
  
shoulder. He felt himself tingling all over as they made for shelter. But he felt a pang of guilt as well. Lily still did not   
  
know about Chaos, he knew that he had to tell her and resolved to do so immediately.   
  
ÒLily, I have to tell you a secret that iÕve been keeping from you, but IÕd like to tell you someplace private,Ó  
  
ÒOkay," she answered unassumedly.  
  
Suddenly, he stopped.  
  
Something had moved. Something that was trying to hide had moved. Vincent could feel it, the hairs on his neck prickled.  
  
ÒVincent, What s it?Ó Lily asked.  
  
ÒShhh,Ó was all he said.  
  
A sharp blow to the back of VincentÕs hea sent him down to the ground. Lily screamed and reached into her satchel for   
  
materia. Before she could retrieve it, a woman in a dark suit twisted her arm behind her back.   
  
ÒHold still, YouÕre dealing with trouble. Ò  
  
Vincent wiped the blood off his head and tried to get up, but a second blow flattened him on the ground.   
  
The woman asked the man who had beaten Vincent in the head, ÒHow long will this take?Ó  
  
ÒWeÕll see,Ó the man answered. He pulled out a knife and stabbed Vincent between the shoulders. Vincent screamed with   
  
pain.  
  
ÒStop it! youÕre going to kill him!Ó Lily screamed, feeling helpless.  
  
ÒDonÕt count on it,heÕs not going to be that lucky,Ó the man commented to Lily.  
  
The man planted a few kicks in VincentÕs stomach. He smiled in a cold way,ÓIÕm having more fun than I thought I would.   
  
ItÕs been awhile since IÕve been able to use my full stregnth on someone. So? HowÕs this work, my little black haired   
  
friend? Does it happen all at once, or over a time span? IÕm dying to find out,Ó  
  
He jammed his foot onto VincentÕs cheek with fierce force.  
  
ÒGeez, donÕt be so rough on him, John,Ó  
  
The black suited woman suddenly commented, ÒWe need him alive,Ó  
  
ÒRead the files once in awhile, Elisa. YouÕll learn a great deal,Ó  
  
ÒI read plenty, but how long do you have to beat on him until, you know, something happens?Ó  
  
ÒI donÕt know. WeÕll just have to see how long,Ó john said with a glimmer of cruelty.  
  
Lily, who was terribly confused by the entire ordeal blurted out,ÓWhat does that mean? Why are you doing this? Stop   
  
that!Ó  
  
John had been wiggling the knife he had left in VincentÕs back. He looked up with a smile at the terrified Lily.  
  
ÒOh, you mean you donÕt know youÕre boyfriendÕs secret?Ó  
  
ÒShut up,Ó Vincent whispered through clenched teeth.  
  
ÒSecret?Ó Lily felt sick, she remembered Vincent wanted to tell her something.  
  
ÒHeÕs got a lot of secrets, donÕt you Demon?Ó  
  
ÒShe doesnÕt need to know..Ó  
  
Vincent was cut short by a sharp pain in the center of his back. John had sunk a second knife into him. Vincent could feel   
  
the change coming. He tried to stop it, but the pain blurred his mind. John pushed down on the knife suddenly and two   
  
batlike wings shot out of VincentÕs back.  
  
ÒFinally, some result of all the pain IÕve been putting you through,Ó  
  
John turned to Lily, who was staring wide-eyed and open mouthed. John took advantage of the situation to cause   
  
psychological damage. He turned to Lily,  
  
ÒSo, you never knew that youÕre fiance wasnÕt even human? Poor little girl. Oh, Well at least you found out before you   
  
were married. Then you would have been stuck with this living nightmare for the rest of your life. ThereÕs more, its not   
  
just the wings. ThereÕs a whole monster in there waiting to come out and meet its bride. Kind of touching, like some type   
  
of legend,Ó  
  
ÒVin...cen..tÓ was all Lily c ould get out of her mouth. Her eyes were wide and filled with a million emotions, from pity to   
  
fear, sadness and concern. Vincent could see it in her eyes, the disbelief, the anger. He could understand her being angry.   
  
He waited for Lily to start shouting at him, then at least he could know how she felt. She did not yell, rather, she just stood   
  
there, staring at him. He hated it when people stared at him. He burned with anger at John, who had brought this   
  
unfortunate event to them. He was going to tell Lily tonight, now he would never have the chance to be honest. That hurt   
  
him deep. Second to LilyÕs reaction. She kept most of her feelings from showing, so Vincent had to guess, which made   
  
things terrible. The wing,which Vincent kept limp, lashed out at John. it caught him on the side of his head and he flew   
  
several yards. The woman who held Lily threw a small explosive device at Vincent, who easily dodged it, but felt   
  
something dig into his shoulder blade. HeÕd worry about that later. his main concern was getting that woman off of Lily.   
  
However, the black suited woman had already let go of Lily and was running down the street. vincent considered chasing   
  
her, but he remembered Lily. He turned to Lily, she was standing a few feet from him, she was staring at him and appeared   
  
quite shaken, but vincent could asses no physical damage. Lily finally spoke,  
  
ÒWhy didnÕt you tell me?Ó  
  
ÒLily..Ó  
  
ÒWhy? What were you afraid of? did you think I wouldnÕt love you? Just tell me why, how long were you going to wait?   
  
A few weeks? before or after the wedding? Why would you think I shouldnÕt know? I would never leave you. Know this,   
  
Vincent. I love you more than anyone else, all of you! I just wish you knew how much you matter,Ó  
  
He had thought she would be angry, but she didnÕt sound angry. she sounded sad. He never wanted to make her sad.   
  
ÒI..Was going to tell you tonight, honest. I was going to tell you,ÓHe felt something shift in his arm,  
  
ÒWhat was that? WhatÕs going on Vincent ?   
  
she noticed the trail of blood coming down his back and forming a puddle at his feet. ÒOh! We have to get you to a   
  
hospital! YouÕre terribly hurt! Come on,Ó Lily started toward him.Shestopped dead when her eyes met his. they were no   
  
longer just crimson, but they were glowing.   
  
ÒLily, I have to leave, IÕll be back, I promise, but I donÕt want you to get hurt. IÕÕll explain everything, just wait. Chaos is   
  
going to come out soon and I donÕt want you to get hurt,Ó  
  
ÒWhat ? WhoÕs Chaos? Ò  
  
ÒThe monster. the monster that man was talking about. I was honesty going to tell you,when I said I had to tell you   
  
something. I was..Ó  
  
A loud snap that came from deep inside of him caused him to fall to his knees, gasping. Lily took a step backward. He saw   
  
her step backward. He srtuggled to his feet and spread his wings.  
  
ÒGood bye Lily, I will come back, please forgive me,Ó  
  
with that, he gave his ings a flap and disappeared into the dark streets. Lily sat alone and frightened. She got up and   
  
staggered after him.  
  
ÒVincent! Wait, thereÕs nothing to forgive, you didnÕt do anything wrong. you were afraid to tell me, but IÕd be afraid to   
  
tell someone a secret like yours. You gathered the courage to tell me. I believe you. I believe you, do you hear me?Ó  
  
No answer. She started to panic. She began to race down the street in the direction that he had left. she called for him   
  
several times, but he never answered. Rain had started to fall and she was quickly soaked. She soon came upon a large   
  
cathedral, the lights were off and it looked as though it had been abandoned. she stopped and looked at it for a moment. She   
  
stared at the enormous building in silence. Suddenly, she saw a winged form descend and open the door of the cathedral. it   
  
quickly disappeared inside. Her heart felt relieved, she ran to the door of the cathedral and reached for the gargoyle door   
  
handle. 


	4. Transformation and Dedication

Chapter 4: Dedication and transformation  
  
Lily opened the door that led into the cathedral. Lightning struck and briefly illuminated the cavernous interior of the church.  
ÒVincent?Ó  
She looked warily around. There was no sign of him. She wandered through the rows of empty pews, past statues of saints and glowing candles. The storm outside raged with passion, as if to frighten Lily into remaining in one place. The silence was near maddening. She knew Vincent was in here somewhere, but he was so good at hiding that even in a place with little cover, he could remain hidden. Lily walked forward quietly, then she heard it. A sort of sickenng crack, followed by a stifled cry. It was nearly inaudible, but because of the silence of the place, it echoed off the walls and could be heard by anyone in the cathedral. However, the only person in the cathedral was Lily and she knew who had made the noise. She felt panic start to claw at her being, she was unable to determine the source of the sound. She began to run through the rows of pews, her feet making echoing noises as she ran. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, what if something was wrong? There was obviously something wrong, or she wouldnÕt be searching for Vincent, but what if it was something really wrong? It must be something terrible, What if heÕs hurt? She was a nurse, but even she didnÕt know how to treat all types of wounds. She stopped dead in her tracks out of frustration. She stood there, dripping and shivering, alone in this enormous house of sanctuary, and yet, she found none. She gathered the last of her stregnth and let out a cry of desperation, ÒVincent!Ó  
ÒLily?Ó  
The voice was quiet and raspy, as if pained. Still, she knew it was his, she seemed to find new stregnth and ran in the direction of the voice. She slowed down when she saw him, she drew a hand to her mouth and a gasp escaped her lips. There he was, huddled in a corner, a pair of large bat-like wings were wrapped around him, his entire body shivering, he looked up at her with an immense sadness and shame.  
ÒLily, go away,Ó The words seemed to have trouble escaping his mouth, she could see that his teeth had become fang-like and his eyes were begining to drip tears. She continued walking toward him, careful not to show her fear and pity, she knew he hated it when people showed their pity to him. Lily never broke eye contact, for fear that she look someplace else and do something she would regret. As she drew nearer, he pulled himself farther into the corner. She could see that the change had progressed further than his wings. One of his feet was a claw, his flesh hand was a angerous talon and his pale face seemed to be covered with black blotches, his eyes glowed a soft red in the dark He warpped his wings close to him.  
ÒLily, please go away. I donÕt want to hurt you and I donÕt want you to see me like this,Ó  
ÒVincent, IÕm not going anywhere. You scared me to death when you ran away. After those horrible men had beaten you. I followed you, I was so scared Vincent. IÕm not leaving you here. please show me where they hurt you, IÕll see if thereÕs anything I can do to make you better,Ó  
ÒLily, why donÕt you listen to me? Please go away, I donÕt know what IÕll do,Ó  
ÒI know nothing bad is going to happen to me because ou wonÕt let it. ThatÕs the kind of man you are. YouÕd die for those you care about. ThatÕs the kind of devoton marriage should be. IÕd die for you Vincent, I love you that much. I had to let you know that. It doesnÕt matter to me what you look like, it never has. Never to me, you are the person I want to spend my life with, no matter what. I accept you for you,I understand why you kept this a secret from me, but I find it sad that you thought you had to. IÕm here for you, I always will be,Ó  
She knelt down next to him and reached between his wings for his hand, which he withdrew. she looked at his face, which he had turned awa from her. She reached out and forced his head to look at her.  
ÒVincent, you are the love of m life, please donÕt think you need to hide from me,Ó  
With that, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his mishapen mouth.  
VincentÕs mind raced, Why was she doing this? DidnÕt she know that if Chaos materialized, that he could kill her? He couldnÕt live with himself if that happened. Tears verflowed from his glowing eyes and he wrapped his arms around Lily. She returned the embrace gently, as if not wanting to hwrm him. Lily felt his back with one of her hands, carefull searching for any open wounds. Her fingers reached the place where his wings were attatched and he shuddered. She removed her hand and looked at it. It was smeared with blood.  
ÒThereÕs a terrible cut back there. I need to reach it Vincent,Ó  
ÒLily-ÓVincent started.  
She looked at him again, his face was now all black, but retained its human shape. Another bolt of lightning cracked hideously outside and illuminated everything for a brief moment. Vincent looked down at Lily. She had clenched her eyes and was clinging to his shirt. He knew that he needed to comfort her, but it was becoming difficult to hold her in his talons without hurting her. He wrapped her close to him with his wings in a desperate attempt to feel her warmth. Her grip loosened and she said again that she needed to tend the wound.   
ÒThere are more than that, but it stopped bleeding, weÕll worry about it later,Ó  
ÔVincent, whatÕs happening?Ó  
ÒI donÕt know. ItÕs never ben so slow before, itÕs always so fast. Lily, you have to go now. Please, You need to go. I am begging you to go  
Lily looked up at him, but all she could see werehis glowing eyes  
ÒIÕm not going, I already told you. I meant what I said and IÕm not abandoning anyone, especially my fiance, suffer alone in a cathedral,Ó  
He could not help it, she looked so strong in the face of danger. Vincent realized that she really wasnÕt going. He could force her away, but he knew Lily would come back. why? He ould not understand why Lily remained by his side. Sickening bone shifting sounds coul be heard coming from him, but Lily clung to him under his wings, ears pressed o his chest, hearing those sounds of cracking. Vincent suddenly became aware of how small Lily seemed now, he wodered how long it would be before he lost awareness and Chaos took control.   
ÒDonÕt leave, Please donÕt leave me Vincent,Ó LilyÕs voice came in sobs. He hadnÕt even realized she was crying, heÕd assumed the warm droplets running over his chest were his blood, but they were LilyÕs tears. he was aabout to tell her to stop crying, when the scene was interupted by the sound of footsteps. lily turned to see who was approaching. A red haired man with a pony tail and sunglasses on the top of his head was walking towards them chuckling under his breathe.  
ÒValentine, youÕve looked better. Oh, youÕve got a lady with you,Ó  
vincent pulled Lily close to him and wrapped a wing over her to protect her from anything the man was planning on doing.  
ÒWhat do you want, Reno? Rufus behind that little escapade back there? ItÕs not enough to beat your targets to near death, youÕve got to humiliate them too?Ó  
ÒRelax, Rufus isnÕt behind this. IÕm here to gather info on those punks running around claiming to be on Turk business. It doesnÕt look good when legitimate business is rumored to be participating in less than respectable matters. I was not able to find anything on my own. but just when I was about to give up, your little girl there was running around calling your name and I figured IÕd let her do the finding for me. That was a very touching little spectacle, you should take care of that one, Valentine. I donÕt think youÕll ever find another chick whoÕd kiss your ugly face,Ó  
ÒWhat does that has to do with us?Ó, VincentÕs cheeks burned with the thought of that greasy little sleaze watching them.   
Lily could hear his voice becoming a growl, he squeezed him to remind him of her presence and keep his human ind in control. She could tell from VincentÕs voice that he felt violated by RenoÕs secret intrusion of their most intimate moment. She knew that was not RenoÕs intention, he had only been looking for information.   
ÒExcuse me, Mr. Reno, I know that youÕre here on business, but I fear for your safety if you stay,Ó  
ÒHah, ÒMr. RenoÓ, YouÕre priss arenÕt you? WhereÕd you dig up this one, Valentine? a library?Ó Reno asked .  
ÒYou still didnÕt answer me, Reno. what does this have to do with me?ÓVincent calmly inquired. Lily could tell he was struggling to remain in control.  
Reno pushed some red hair out of his face. ÔWell, it concerns soem Turk wannabes following the orders of some ex-shinra head something. They go around messing up RufusÕ good name, which heÕs actually tried to keep after they pulled him outta the rubble of his office. Pulling up and posting confidential information, publishing HojoÕs old work. ItÕs crazy, Rufus has been following ReeveÕs advice for everything, but these punks are trying to ruin the company. It was already ruined, but theyÕre trying to undo all that good wok. Darn shame. Hey are you goonna be okay?Ó  
ÒConcern from a Turk? ThatÕs a change,Ó Vincent was suspicious.  
ÒWell, I donÕt want you to change into whatever it was that kicked the TurksÕ collective ass at that reactor two years ago,Ó  
ÒIn that case youÕd better go,Ó  
ÒSo, youÕre in the dark about this as much as me. All right, check in with you later. Bye, freak,Ó  
Reno sounded disappointed, he had only called Vincent a freak to vent his own anger. He left the cathedral with a toss of his pony tail. Lily looked at Vincent for the first time sice RenoÕs sudden entrance. Chaos had almost fully emerged now, but Vincent seemed in control.  
ÒLily, are you sure you want to stay? Things could get ugly,Ó  
ÒYes, I want to stay. Ò  
ÒLily, I couldnÕt live with myself if something happened to you,Ó  
ÒNothing will. When you lose consciousness, think of meeting me at the park by the fountain, where you asked me to marry you. will you make me that promise?Ó   
ÒAll right, When I wake up, IÕll meet you at the fountain. That will be my beacon of light in the darkness,Ó  
Lily smiled and held hs claw to her face. She rubbed her chek up and down his hand. when she looked up again, the human glint was gone from the glowing eyes There was no longer any human influence, Chaos was free. Lily did not move. she felt fear clinging to theback of her mind. She had never truly believed that the transformation would complete. she had believed that it would stop, reverse and everything would end happily. She had never expected herself to come face to face with the monster within her fiance. Every nerve in her body could sense the raw power eminating from the dark form, her face was sleek with cold sweat. Chaos cast its fiery eyes at her with a swift movement. The eyes burned with a strange intelligence. Lily felt hypnotized by their glow. It regarded her as odd, it brushed her away easily wit a sweep of its sharp claw. Lily, being small and slightly lightweight, was sent sliding across the stone floor. When she came to a stop, she sat up. She turned her gaze to Chaos, who was licking at its wounds and ignoring the strange creature who had been clinging to it. It became very frustrated with a piece of shrapnel that was trapped in its back. It thrahed and screamed its fury at that jagged shard that caused it incredible pain. Lily observed this from a safe distance. lily felt great pity fo Chaos. It was in pain and there was no one to help it, but her. Lily knew Vincent would be angry if he found out about her getting that close to Chaos, a loud scream broke her line of thought. Chaos had collapsed and was trying to reach the shrapnel that was embedded in its back, with no luck. Lily knew she would have to face Chaos sooner or later in life, and the sooner she got on good terms with the monster the better. She slowly approached. Lily began to speak softly to it and kept her eyes down cast, she knew that some animals found eye contact a threat when injured. Chaos noticed her immediately. It assumed a defensive crouch and growled at her, a deep frightening sound. Hojo had given it enough intelligence to be aware of itself, but also made sure to alster its voicebox so that it cold only make unintelligible sounds that would terrify anyone who was not already intimidated by its fearsome appearance. Lily was indeed afraid, but she had to give chaos a chance, no one had ever treated it kindly before, the only touch it knew brought pain. It could attack her, kill her in one swipe of those talons, still, she walked forward, her satchel lightly hitting against her side She outstretched one of her arms in a gesture of peace. She continued to speak tothe monster.  
ÒDonÕt worry, IÕm not going to hurt you. I jut want to help you, Chaos. ThatÕs your name , right? Yes, you recognized it when I said it. IÕm Lily. I want to be your friend, okay? IÕll never hurt you, I promise. IÕm going to help you get that shrapnel out of your back, okay?Ó  
chaos could not understand this strange person. She had returned even after it had pushed her away. Most opponents never came back, this one was different and dangerous. She was unpredictable and did not behave as a human should. Humans were the bringers of pain and a threat to life. They were not supposed to be quiet or gentle. It backed itself as far as it could into the corner where Vincent had been sitting. It bared its teeth and continued to growl at the advancing Lily. She gentl placed her hand on chaos shoulder. It took a moment for chaos to understand what was going on. The touch of a human never felt like this before. It had always been a slap, a kick, or other painful action directed at causing suffering. This touch brought no pain. ChaosÕ skin tingled at the unfamiliar feeling, it could always toss her away again if this did lead to pain, it had done it easily before. The hand moved up the shoulder to ChaosÕ face, where it ran over the monsterÕs cheek gently and wiped the blood from a cut above its eyes. Chaos felt strange. It had never met a human like this one. It was gentle, it took pain away, could it trust her ? It wanted to, for some reason, it wanted her to trust it, where this feeling originated, it had no idea. It decided to follow this feeling, just to see what happened.   
Her other hand reached over its back, searching for the shrapnel that it could not reach. Chaos sensed what she was looking for and lowered itself to the ground. This was turning into an interesting encounter and it enjoyed a little adventure. With its cooperaton, Lily was able to find the shrapnel at a much quicker rate than if it had remained standing. She grasped the shrapnel tightly in her hand and gave it a fierce tug, being careful to stroke the creature with the other to keep it calm. the shrapnel moved a little, but part of it remained caught in the flesh. The creature howled in pain, but did not lash out et, something about the soothing touch and soft sounding sentences kept it from striking. Lily gave a second tug and jerked the metal free. The creature could not stop its own reflexes. The shrapnel had been embedded near he base of its wing. when lily had pulled it out, it flexed the wing and sent her flying, unitntentionally. She struck her head on a pew and remained motionless on the ground.   
It sat there for a moment, trying to realize what it had done. The girl had been tring to help it and it had merely released a reflex action and it had hurt her. It had never unintentionally hurt anyone before. It never had the choice, whenever it materialized, there were always enemies, threats that would kill if they were not. It felt a strange feeling that it had done something wrong. It never wanted to hurt her! Regret was a new feeling, it didnÕt lke it, not in the least. It slowly walked on all fours over to where Lily had landed. She was breathing, but she was unconscious, a lage cut was on her head and blood was flowing from it. A foot twitched suddenly, so she wasnÕt paralyzed, it deduced. It whimpered and sat her up, her head fell forward. It turned her head to face it, she was so soft, it feared it would cut her with its sharp claws. It had never seen a human this close before, they were so weak, how could they cause such pain?  
it whined in an attempt to wake her, but she did not move. Something wet rolled down its face. It touched one of itd claws to its face. Tears? A human thing. It was not human, why did it hav tears? It felt a surge of rage come over it. why did things have to change? Everything had been so simple before, fight the target, win continue to live. now with the appearance of thi strange human, all it had ever known did not do it any good. It laid its head on her lap and sighed. The exhaustion from its wounds and the emotional trauma it experienced grew to be too much and it plunged into sleep.  
When Lily regained consciousness, she was sitting up. The first hints of sunlight were begining to shne through the stained glass windows. She felt something smooth and cold against her hands, when she saw what it was, she stifled a cry. In her lap was the large, black, fanged face of a monster. After a moment she remembered where she was and the face brught her no more fear. She suddenly remembered the woundnear the base of its wing and immediately looked for the large wound. It had actually begun to heal very nicely. She still reached into her bag for her small bottle of rubbing alchohol that she always kept with her. she dabbed some of the alchohol onto the sleeve of her duster and carefully rubbed it over the wound to stop any infection. There was a twitch of the creatureÕs ears, but that was the onl sign of reaction to the stinging sensation. She began to absent mindedly stroke the monster as if it were an enormous pet of LilyÕs. After half an hour, lily opened her eyes again to see that VincentÕs flesh hand had returned, lthough it looked quite odd attatched to the monsterÕs body. His body quiveredand began returning to its original state. The grisly spectacle was horribly fascinating to Lily, she kept her eyes glued on the shifting body, deciding that if she closed her eyes, her imagination would make it worse. By the time Vincent opened his eyes, the only things left were the wings and his fangs. He rolled off of her lap and lay on his stomach on the cold floor. He sat there gritting his teeth and sweating very profusely while the wings were drawn into his back. When the pain beame too great, he clawed at the floor with his hands to draw attention away from it. When a last they were gone, he collaapsed from the painand rolld onto his back so he could look up. Lily saw the fangs shrink back into his mouth. He lay there with a look of relief on his face, his black hair spread out on the floor behind him. Lily felt tears welling up in her eyes.  
Òvincent,Ó was all she could manage.  
ÒLily? YouÕre alright! I was so scared IÕd done something, I just had this horrible feeling and I was helpless, I couldnÕt do anything,Ó  
ÒVincent,   
IÕm so glad to haveyou back. DonÕt ever run fro me again! Please tell me everything from now on,Ó  
ÒLily, why are you crying?Ó  
ÒI thought IÕd lost you! I thought you were going to bleed to death hddled in that corner. ThatÕs what I thought when I first saw you. You had that jagged piece of who knows what stuck in your back and you didnÕt even tell me! I had to help that monster pull it out or you could have died!Ó  
ÒWhat?Ó  
Lily regretted mentioning getting close and causing pain to VincentÕs other side.  
ÒYou didnÕt. You didnÕt get close to it did you? You know how dangerous it is! Ò He noticed the cut on her head.   
ÒIt that how got that? Did he do that?Ó  
ÒIt wasnÕt on purpose,Ó  
ÒDonÕt ever do that again! Lily, I mean it! He could kill you! Just promiseyouÕll never get htat close again,Ó  
ÒI...I canÕt promise that,Ó  
ÒWhat?Ó  
ÒYou might need me, IÕd be breaking a promise to you if I helped. But I will promise that IÕll only get close in an emergency,Ó  
ÒThatÕs goig to have to do. IÕm sorry for yelling, Lily. WeÕve been through a lot, especially you. I donÕt know how to say this exactly, well, youÕre the only one who iÕve felt this way about since, well before what happened. YouÕre also the only one whoever stayed with me through, well a spell.Ó  
Lily looked right at him, she grasped both his hands and held them close to her heart.  
ÒThatÕs the way I always want it to be. Vincent, youÕre the only person IÕve ever loved. You make me feel completed. You , vincent are my soul mate. IÕd never want anyone else. LetÕs go to the park together like you promised. WeÕll sit together and talk about whatever you like.Ó  
Vincent smiled and nodded, he felt Lily sounded better when she spoke about how she felt than he could. They left the cathedral together and strolled down the street in the sunshine. Vincent could hear the birds singing in the trees, life truly was beautiful . He was happy for the first time in years, he couldnÕt believe it. Happiness was a feeling he had lost forever that night long ago when heÕd confronted that deranged professor. He looked at Lily closely, heÕd never noticed how beautiful she was. HeÕd never thought about it, she was always Lily. She had long light brown hair that was tied in a pon tail and seemed to bounce gracefully as she moved. Her eyes were pale blue, the lightest heÕd ever seen. Her skin was creamy and very smooth. She smelled like roses and always carried a satchel full of useful tems. She had chosen him. Of all the men who could offer her so much more, who she wouldnÕt have to hide, who she could hold two flesh hands with. She hadnÕt chosen any of them because she didnÕt love any of them. She loved him. The very thought of that person loving him made his chest burn with an unknown emotion. All he could tell was things were wonderful for the first time in years, and with Lily, they would be for a very long time.  
Not far off, two black suited figures watched them go. The man smiled. The woman noticed and asked,ÓWhy are you smiling?Ó  
ÒBecause, the professor is going to have two things to be happy about by tomorrow afternoon.Ó 


	5. Past is Imperfect

Chaper 5 Past is imperfect  
Reno felt terrible. He lay on his futon, still wearing his blue pants, but he had removed the jacket and starched shirt, he now wore an undershirt which he had been wearing for more than a couple of days. He looked out the window and immediately turned away. The light hurt his eyes and made his head feel worse. He looked around his room, it was littered with beer cans and carry out left overs. A knock at his door forced him to sit up. Rude opened the door before reno had a chance to reply.  
ÒReno?Ó  
No reply. Rude stepped into the room. Upon doing so, he noticed that his friend had been drinking and neglecting his personal hygiene.  
ÒWhat the hell? Reno, what did you do? donÕt you realize that with things the way they are, you could end up getting fired, like Elena. Stop pouting while youÕre at it. So the freak didnÕt know anything, big deal. Gonna piss and moan about everything like that for the rest of your life? Get over it!Ó  
ÒShut up!Ó Reno shouted.  
ÒBaby, you havenÕt changed since you were what, twelve?Ó  
ÒIÕm not in the mood to listen to your chiding,Ó  
ÒWell, at least your vocabulary has improved,Ó  
ÒI was so sure. So sure that he knew something. Those Black Turks are messing up everything. TheyÕll take away our dignity and our jobs unless we stop them..Ó  
ÒYeah,So, letÕs go,  
ÒGo where?Ó  
ÒWell, if youÕre not too hung over, I was thinking we could head over to NimbevÕs Sector,Ó  
ÒWhy Nimbev? whatÕs he got to do with this?Ó  
It helps to do a little detective work sometimes, Reno. Do you remember NimbevÕs old position at Shinra?Ó  
ÒYeah, Cheif of Alternative Resources, but he got let go after the Mako reactors in Midgar were constructed. There was a rumor that he stumbled upon some of HojoÕs experiments and got fired, his job or his life, that was the agreement. ThatÕs what I heard, IÕm not sure if it was true,Ó  
ÒYeah, he did stumble upon HojoÕs experiments in the Nibeheim reactor and even some classified ones here in Midgar. After he was fired he wrote everything down and swore to destroy shinra. He published his work on the underground, it was a bestseller at Cosmo Canyon and was required reading for the first members of Avalanche. He was distraught lafter Hojo died. he knew the company would cover everything up, there would be no one left to prove that he was right. no one, except those Hojo had experimented upon,Ó  
ÒValentine?Ó  
ÒYes, Rufus too,Ó  
ÒNo way! That greasy son of a bitch had the nerve to experiment on the president? Bastard!Ó  
ÒHe wasnÕt the president then, he was a child. It hasnÕt affected him in any way that we can see. Anyway, Nimbev believes that by overthrowing Rufus, he can reveal to the world what Hojo was doing. We also need to protect Rufus. Nimbev plans on finishing what Hojo started as proof. Rufus in in peril. If we are unable to protect him, He will cease to be the president,Ó  
ÒWhat?Ó  
ÒWeÕll have another Vincent Valentine in our posession, but this will be worse,Ó  
ÒThat Bastard! WeÕll have to show them what Turks are made of!Ó  
ÒOh, thereÕs something else you should know,Ó  
ÒWhat is that?Ó  
ÒRufus doesnÕt know about this. I wasnÕt planning on telling him. Think about it, If you had no idea what that slippery prick Hojo did to you, would you really want to know?Ó  
ÒNo, I wouldnÕt. Ignorance is bliss after all,Ó  
ÒExactlyÓ  
ÒSo, how are we going to protect him without telling him. If we babysit him, heÕll know something is going on,Ó  
ÒWeÕll just have to put an end to this nonsense tonight, before anyone finds out about it. When I informed Tseng of this, he suggested that you and I take care of Nimbaldin while he remains here to protect Rufus, as a precaution.Ó  
ÒOh, just like old times. The Turks come in the darkness and remove any threat to the company. Man, I forgot how much I missed this kind of work,Ó  
ÒThen letÕs go. For the company,Ó  
ÒFor the company,Ó  
ÒFor the president,Ó  
ÒFor the president,Ó   
ÒFor the glory of the Turks,Ó  
ÒHeh, for the glory of the Turks. Now letÕs go kick some ass!Ó Reno gave a wicked smile at his last remark and made jabs at empty air. Rude smiled at him, then put on his sunglasses. Reno pulled on a shirt, which was incredibly disheveled, and a dark blue jacket. Rude looked him over.  
ÒJust like old times,Ó he said as the two left the dormitory. 


	6. Keep Your Enemies Close

Chapter 4 Keep your enemies close  
The noise of the city became quieter as evening went on, Fathers returned home, dinners were cooked, all the citizens were settling down for sleep. Vincent and Lily had arrived at their hotel where they would be spending the weekend. Lily felt it was rude to invade others private lives, even if they said it was alright. They were visiting the Strife house tomorrow and they needed their rest. Last nightÕs events had exhausted them. Lily ordered room service and she called housekeeping to wash their clothes. Nothing they had been wearing at the time of the strange assault had escaped without some type of stain, not even VincentÕs red cloak, which he rarely parted with, but surrendered without hesitation to Lily. Vincent was now in the bathroom bathing. While he soaked the tension away in the bath, Lily prepared the room for dinner. She hummed a song to herself as she moved bits and pieces of furniture about the room. Lily seated herself properly on a chair beside a table. The window she faced was tinted, making the sunset look darker than it was. Lily let the events of the past day play like a silent movie through her thoughts. Her lips drew into a smile and she started to laugh, the laughter quickly turned to sobs and any trace of joy was gone. She hated herself for being so afraid. She was so weak, she had been afraid of the man she loved and that was disgusting. Why? I knew he wouldnÕt hurt me when he turned to look at me after they went. Why, even for a second did I doubt? The second she had involuntarily jerked away, he had run away into the dark. She had followed, truly repentant for her moment of treachery. she regretted that recoil more than anything she had ever failed to do or do. Lily felt that she had hurt Vincent in a way that she could not describe. Was there any greater pain than being rejected by the one you care about more than anything in your existence. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and looked up. Glancing back were two crimson orbs than showed concern and love.   
ÒIÕm so sorry,Ó was all she could whisper.  
ÒSorry? For what?Ó  
ÒFor jerking away at first. I want you to know I didnÕt mean to. It was a sort of reflex, IÕve felt terrible about it for hours and I just wanted to tell you that IÕm sorry,Ó  
ÒLily, thereÕs nothing to be sorry about. It was a reflex, donÕt worry about it. I know youÕre not the type of person to forsake the people that you love,Ó  
Lily smiled at him, he always knew what to say to make her feel better. They leaned close to kiss when all of a sudden,  
ÒHi! Room Service!Ó came from the door.  
Lily turned pink and Vincent got up to answer the door.  
ÒHold that thought,Óhe winked.  
He thought the voice sounded familiar, but he couldnÕt place it. He opened the door, his eyes widened at the person on the other side of the door.  
ÒElena!Ó  
Elena was shocked at being recognized and even more by who had recognized her. She recognizede Vincent as the tall Avalanche member who had battled them in the Shinra building.  
ÒWhat are you doing here?Ó Vincent asked elena.  
ÒBudget cuts, Ò was her reply. She looked thourghly embarrassed at her state. Her gawdy pink uniform felt demeaning in front of someone who had seen her in a grander setting. She handed him the tab and he paid in gil, leaving Elena a noticably significant tip, she deserved it, he thought.  
When she had left, Lily asked,  
ÒWho was that?Ó  
ÒElena, another Turk, or now former Turk. Things must really be bad if Rufus is letting the Turks go,Ó  
ÒBut, sheÕs only one of four. There are still three others. Do you think they are connected to the people who...who..Ó  
Òno, Reno wouldnÕt lie about something like that. He wanted information and the best way to get it is to tell someone the information that they need, so theyÕll tell you what you need to know,Ó  
ÒOh,Ó  
the two settled down to a quiet meal together as the stars sparkled outside.  
  
Outside, the pair was watched by a man and a woman in black suits.  
ÒNow?Ó  
ÒNo,Ó  
ÒNow?Ó  
ÒNo, be patient, itÕs all about timing, Elisa,Ó  
ÒTiming?Ó  
ÒYes. You have to time everything, your enemies must be unaware of your presence and use time for psychological effect. When we do get in there, cut the girl,Ó  
ÒWhat? We werenÕt sent after her. Mr. Nimbaldin only wants..Ó  
ÒTrust me, harm the girl and our quarry will show itself,Ó  
ÒWhy does he want that thing, anyway?Ó  
ÒItÕs part of the bossÕ plan,Ó  
ÒWhich is?Ó  
ÒOverthrow that Rufus punk,Ó  
ÒAh,Ó  
ÒSo whatÕs that have to do with that vampire?Ó  
ÒHeÕs not a vampire. HeÕs some punk Ms. hojoÕs dad had a grudge against,Ó  
ÒPoor guy,Ó  
ÒYeah. Just remember, screw up and itÕll be you on that cold operating table with the doctor messing with you,Ó  
ÒBut I thought Mr. Nimbev was against human experimentation. ThatÕs why he is having us track down our three targets,Ó  
ÒHeÕs against experimentation, not procedures,Ó  
ÒI donÕt know about hurting the girl, she didnÕt do anything,Ó  
ÒYou shouldnÕt have joined the Black Turks if you had a conscience,Ó  
ÒI disagree, conscience makes a good warrior,Ó  
ÒNow,Ó  
ÒWhat?Ó  
ÒNow, Elisa,Ó  
  
..............................................  
  
Two wine glasses clinked in the hotel room crimson met blue as mutual smiles were shared.  
ÒVincent, I held that thought for you,Ó Lily sweetly whispered.  
They began to kiss again, when the shattering of glass caused them to see two black suited figures bursting through the window. They were the same pair as before, only this time they made no attempt to hide their weapons. The man carried a spear with several materia slots, each equipped with a high level orb. the woman carried a large silver gun and a small materia bangle. No mistakes this time around, they were ready for anything and the were willing to make any sacrifice to complete their mission.  
The woman made an instant move for Lily, knocking her away from Vincent pulling her into a corner. Elisa twisted LilyÕs forearm behind her back and pointed the gun at her head. The man pointed his spear at VincentÕs neck.  
ÒOne false move and IÕll make sure you regret it, one way or another,Ó the man nodded toward Lily. Elisa, seeing the motion, gave LilyÕs arm a hard twist. Lily cried out softly.   
Vincent glared at john, ÒWhat do you want? Which ex-shinra exec want anything to do with me? Leave her out of this.Ó  
ÒI canÕt do that. It appears your other side cares for this one as well as you. We were sent to capture Chaos and that is what we will do. If you donÕt cooperate, Lily over there is going to pay. Nimbev wants to right the wrongs Hojo brought upon the planet. He will reveal the evil which resides in humanity and eliminate every aspect of it. You, Rufus, ouÕre both pawns he left behind that we will play to our advantage. Say goodbye to our girlfriend. ItÕs the last time youÕll ever see her in your own body,Ó  
Just then, John looked up to see a high heel shoe coming right at his face. A fierce kick landed on his nose and caused him to fall flat on his back. Blood ran down his chin and dripped to the floor and onto the white carpets. Vincent urned to look at his savior. It was...Elena?  
ÒNo hassling the customers, especially ones that leave big tips!Ó she shouted. She had changed out of her gawdy pink uniform and into a sleeveless shirt and dark pants. A much more respectable ensemble.  
ÒSo you two are whose responsible for mr losing my job! Black Turks? Wannabes. ThatÕs what you are! The budget cuts you caused got me fired from the Turks! It wasnÕt even my fault! You two are low hassling innocent employees, it looks like you enjoy bothering women. IsnÕt that the future Mrs. Valentine? IÕd let her go, itÕs not nice to pick on girls, we travel in groups!ÓElena shouted,she rushed at Elisa and kicked her calves. Elisa flinched and Lily came free. Lily pulled a materia orb out of her pocket and slid it into her clip.  
ÒThatÕs it! IÕm tired of your damn tricks, your sudden appearances and your damn attempts on VincentÕs life! You claim its to draw out Chaos, but what kind of cruel things are you planning to do to him? I wonÕt allow you to take Vincent or Chaos! I love them both and would die to protect them! You two have taken something away from Vincent tha you can never give back! You took away his chance to be honest with me! Do you know how much he wanted to be honest with me? Enough! IÕm going to punish you, its only fair! Demi 3!Ó, Lily shouted.  
The two Black Turks were thrown to the ground by a tremendous force. Elena shot a glance at Lily.  
ÒWow,thatÕs an impressive spell. I thought only descendants of the mages could use materia at such high levels,ÕÓ she commented.  
ÒWell,ÓLily blushed,ÓMy ancestors were mages, on my motherÕs side,Ó  
ÒThat would explain it ! I never expected to meet a mage before,Ó Elena smiled.  
Vincent had never seen Elena smile, or known that Lily was the descendant of the mage clans. Apparently, he thought, IÕm not the only one who keeps secrets,oh well, I do like a woman with enigmatic air. The two Black Turks stirred and moaned, vincent walked over to Elisa and grabbed her by the collar. He jerked her upward, she gave a cry as she was pulled to her feet.   
ÒNow, why the hell have you been following us?Ó He shot at her in an enraged voice.  
ÒWhy should I tell you?Ó she whispered.  
ÒYou dare talk to a former Turk like that?Ó Elena slapped Elisa with the palm of her hand. ÒYou Black Turks have no honor! You go around fulfilling the wishes of that Mr. Nimbaldin like is very orders are the law of God!Ó  
ÒMr. Nimbaldin will purge the world of evil,ÓElisa rasped,ÓHeÕll get rid of the three evils,Ó  
ÒThree evils?Ó Elena asked.  
ÒYes. The Chaos, The President and The Progeny. All three muwst die to atone for th sins of the man called Hojo. Once these three are removed, the world will become a place of peace,Ó  
Vincent and Lily listened silently to the Black Turk, but Elena, who was growing very red suddenly burst out  
ÒYou dumb ass! You actually believe that Òthree evilsÓ shit?! I donÕt give a shit who Mr. Nimbaldin thinks he is! All I know is that heÕs setting up his own destruction and the destruction of others. If you had a brain, you mindless toy, youÕd see that he is commiting the sins that he hates,Ó  
ÒMr. Nimbaldin is taking the sin of killing them upon himself in order to save the world,ÓElisa answered.  
ÒWhy does he have to kill them? asked Elena.  
ÒSuch beings should not exist. The Chaos is the creation of Hojo. The President is the former employer and full supporter of Hojo. The Progeny is the accursed spawn of Hojo,ÓElisa turned to Vincent,ÓAVALANCHE made our job easier by killing HojoÕs son, now all that remains is the daughter of his second wife. With her death, his legacy will be decimated,Ó  
ÒYou two are disgusting. YouÕd kill an innocent girl just because of who her father was?ÓLily asked.  
ÒShe is obtained. Only two evils are walking freely. One of them is being handled by Mr. Nimbaldin himself. We only need to capture Chaos and our work will be over for the moment,Ó  
ÒLike Hell!Ó elena shouted.  
ÒElena, calm down. How do you expect us to reason with her if you keep letting your feelings take hold of you?Ó Vincent asked.  
ÒYou canÕt reason with this brainwashed cult shit. They actually believe in that sack of filth and his empty promises. They make a murderer sound like some kind of a hero. The whole idea makes me sick,Ó Elena spat.  
ÒElena-ÓLily started.  
ÒShut Up! No matter what this sorry excuse for a Turk says, Yuki doesnÕt deserve to die! sheÕs just a girl! She didnÕt have any say in who her parents were! She hated Hojo for what he did! He never did anything a father should have done. He was never around, he cheated on her mother and he mentally abused the child beyond belief. IÕm amazed sheÕs as successful as she is. she was accepted into University of Midgar on scholarship, she has great stregnth and she impresses even me,Ó Elena seemed on the brink of tears.  
ÒElena, how do you know this?Ó Vincent asked.  
ÒI babysat for Yuki when she was young, before I was fully initiated into the Turks, I was a bodyguard for the families of Shinra employees. It was an arranged marriage. Her mother never loved Hojo, but she loved Yuki. That girl was her world. Yuki was always bright and excelled in school. Her father always told her how useless she was. sometimes, when her mother would be out buying an anniversary gift for Hojo, or a card for a holiday, he would bring women to their apartment. He asked me to take Yuki out. Yuki remembers those time to this day, but nothing compares to the time she found the file about Nibelheim. If I remember, she was thirteen then,She was looking for research materials for a school project and decided to look in her fatherÕs archives for something of interest. She found the original files about Nibelheim and the Jenova Project, along with HojoÕs personal notes describing in detail all of his disgusting experiments. When I came to watch her that afternoon, her parents had a dinner to attend, her mother said she had locked herself in her room and refused to open the door while her father was in the area. She was right, the girl refused to unlock the door before she heard the limo drive away.   
I heard the lock click, but the door did not open. I went over and asked if I could come in. She said I could and I slowly stepped inside. IÕve never seen a girl look so forlorn and angry. She told me all the things she read and how much she hated hojo. How all the things he did were unforgivable. She said she had cried all day. She cried so much, she couldnÕt cry anymore. The pain was there, but she couldnÕt cry anymore. I asked her who she was crying for. She said everyone. The baby, who never had a life. For her shame, because of what her father did and for the Turk. She told me how disgusted she was with what her father had done. She cried for you, Vincent! She didnÕt even know you and she cried for you!Ó  
ÒHow sad,Ó said Lily.  
ÒShe deserves to die!Ó  
No one had noticed John get up. He pulled a gun from his jacket and shot Vincent twice before releasing a gas bomb that rendered Lily and Elena unconscious. He and Elisa had cleverly hidden noseplugs and miniature oxygen tanks about their persons. They dragged a terribly bleeding Vincent away before the two women could regain consciousness. A mage and a Turk were terrible enemis alone, but combined, they were deadly, and the two Black Turks were not about to take the chance of fighting them. 


	7. Flashback

Bet you thought this fic was dead, didnÕt you? Well, just so you know, none of my fics are dead! I just wait for inspiration! IÕd like to Thank Drakonlily for all the support and the supply of good fics that keep popping up! ^_^ Thanks much! Also, special thanks to my good friends, Spinkie and Fr. Lobert! Thanks for reading! A note: sorry about the typos in earlier chapters! IÕm working on getting them under control.   
Chapter 7 YukiÕs bedroom  
  
2 years before meteor, four years ago  
  
ÒYuki, itÕs me, Elena. May I come in?Ó  
ÒIs he gone?Ó  
ÒWho?Ó  
ÒYou know who, Ms. Elena,Ó  
ÒYes your father is gone. If you look, you can see your parentÕs limo driving away. Stop this foolishness, Yuki,Ó  
The door remained losed, but Elena heard the lock click. She walked slowly towards the door. Yuki had never been so antisocial before, not even when her father was around, which was when she would go to her room and Òdo homeworkÓ. Elena placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. She slid open the door and slowly stepped inside. The room was dark, except for the illumination from YukiÕs wire lights that were strung across the back of her room. Yuki sat in the corner of her room facing her window. Her short black hair was slicked and combed, but her eyes were red from crying and glared with a deep hatred.  
ÒI hate him, Ms. Elena,Ó  
ÒWho?Ó  
ÒHim,Ó YukiÕs eyes glared fiercely at something unseen and her hand covered the bottom part of her mouth.  
ÒI hate him. Everyone must think of me as an evil child for saying such things, but how can I be evil if all I do is tell the truth. At least IÕm honest with myself, not delude myself with the thoughts of mindless automotons. Even though I may be evil in the eyes of everyone except for you and my mother, IÕll never be as evil as him. People think IÕm evil, but IÕve never done anything that is evil. He has, it makes me sick,Ó YukiÕs voice cracked.  
ÒYuki, I donÕt think youÕre evil,Ó  
ÒI canÕt cry anymore, Ms. Elena,Ó  
ÒWhat? Why are you crying? You donÕt have anything to cry about,Ó  
ÒYou donÕt know. You donÕt know the suffering heÕs caused. That poor little boy and that poor Turk, You just donÕt know,Ó  
ÒDonÕt know what?Ó  
ÒWhat heÕs done, what IÕm crying for,Ó  
ÒFor whom are you crying?Ó  
ÒEveryone. The baby who never got to choose his life, me, who was given life by one who takes it away, and for the Turk. I pity him the most. The pain is weighing me down, I canÕt cry. All I feel is hate,Ó  
ÒYuki, stop,Ó  
ÒAll I feel is pain. I donÕt want to. Everyone tells me to love my father, but I canÕt. I can never. Have you seen these pictures? TheyÕre quite graphic. Especially these ones. The off the record photos. TheyÕre pictures of Chaos. HeÕs achained to the wall in this one. Here he is, unconscious and pinned to the operating table. HerÕs one mid transformation. ItÕs all here. No one ever looked. I looked. I know. IÕll never forgive him!Ó  
ÒYuki!Ó  
ÒI canÕt!Ó  
ÒIÕm not saying you should. Just move on. ThereÕs nothing you can do. LetÕs just be Yuki and Elena having a girlÕs night. LetÕs watch a movie and order out for Chinese. ItÕll be fun and youÕll forget all this. If you feel you can ever help to make it better, do something, but donÕt dwell on something that happened twenty years ago. Go on, do your best and do whatever you want. Give me a hug, Yuki,Ó  
Yuki gave Elena a hug and sighed into her dark blue uniform. She trembled and mumbled something into ElenaÕs arm.  
ÒElena, I canÕt cry anymore,Ó  
ÒI know,Ó  
ÒElena, youÕre the only one I can talk to like this,Ó  
ÒReally?Ó  
ÒYes, Thank You. IÕm sorry for all the pain IÕve caused you,Ó  
ÒYou havenÕt caused me any pain,Yuki,Ó  
ÒI havenÕt?Ó  
ÒNo, seeing you is always a pleasure. IÕm proud to protect someone like you. YouÕre brave and firm in your beliefs. Never change Yuki, always be yourself,Ó  
ÒOkay, I promise. You know something, Elena? YouÕre not like the other Turks. YouÕre too nice,Ó  
ÒCome on, thereÕs some crab rangoon with your name on it at the take-out place,Ó 


	8. Awakening

Chapter 8: Awakening  
  
Elena slowly opened her eyes, a sort of groggy feeling plagued her sensitive senses. Her head throbbed and her nostrils beheld the faint scent of gas. She muttered something unintelligible and struggled to sit up. A rather large mistake, for as soon as she did so, her head seemed to explode with unpleasant sensations. She placed a finger on her forehead and began to massage it with care.  
Damn Black Turks! she thought to herself. suddenly, Elena heard a familiar voice behind her.  
ÒAwwwww! Geez Rude, be careful with her why donÕcha? This chick has been through a lot in the past few days!Ó  
She heard a deep voice reply to the fiery one:  
ÒIÕm sure youÕd know a lot about that. I am being careful, I donÕt want to draw any misdirected bad karma in my direction,Ó  
ElenaÕa brown eyes widened as she spun around, forgetting her pain momentrarily.  
ÒReno? Oh my god! What are you-Rude too? Why-why are you guys here? And in uniform too? And why does she get the bed and I get left here on the floor?Ó  
Elena arched an eyebrow at LilyÕs delicate placement on the bed.  
Reno stood up and scrathced the back of his head nervously.  
ÒWell, ÔLena, ItÕs like this, we figured, as an Ex-Turk, youÕd find it insulting to be treated as a fragile blossom,Ó  
ÒWhat?Ó Elena asked with a tone of disbelief.  
ÒWe just didnÕt want to hurt your pride, gorgeous,Ó   
Reno made a ÒtchÓ sound with his tongue and pointed towards his former companion, giving her a flirtatious wink before turning back to his previous task, which was apparently to do nothing in particular. Elena gave a sigh and turned to Rude.  
ÒSo, Rude, Why are you two here again? I didnÕt seem to catch it from Red there,Ó  
Rude continued to dab LilyÕs forehead with a wet washclothe ans spoke to   
Elena without turning away.  
ÒWeÕre here tracking the Black Turks. President Rufus has been kidnapped , the only clues to his whereabouts are with those wannabees. We tracked them to this point, but we had a momentary delay. You see, you two were unconscious on the floor and the said Turkish imposters were making a speedy getaway with a critically wounded Vincent Valentine,Ó  
ÒShit! You lost them! All for us? Damn!Ó Elena cursed.  
RenoÕs eyes lit up.  
ÒNooooot quite, Sugar. See, I kinda, you know, ÔnudgedÕ that prissy, whatÕs his name? Jane? Joan?Ó  
ÒJohn. John Extrenue, SOLDIER dropout,Ó Rude informed his somewhat oblivious companion.  
ÒThatÕs right. ÔJohnÕ, wow, how damn original. His parents must be really unique people to name their kid something so fucking exotic as ÒJohnÓ,Ó  
ÒGet to the point Reno!Ó shouted Elena.  
ÒShhhh. Easy there, Turkish Momma, weÕve got a sick lady here,Ó Reno said motioning to Lily.  
ÒReno-ÓRude started, but it was not necessary to finish, the tall manÕs tone was more than enough to inspire his companion to continue.  
Reno cleared his throat and continued.  
ÒSo, I nudged him and, well, put a bug on him. As well as one on Ôol VinVal,Ó Reno grinned and scratched his head with the tip of his nightstick.  
ÒReno! YouÕre great! Ò Elena said enthusiatically.  
ÒYeah, its about time somebody took notice. But, tell me, ÔLena, how come youÕre so into this? I mean, youÕre not a Turk anymore, so why should this matter?Ó  
ÒThis goes beyond that, Reno. Based on what happened here tonight, thereÕs too much at stake here. Besides, my heart has always been with the Turks, in one way or another,Ó  
ÒAwww, thatÕs so sweet, ÔLena! YouÕre gonna make me blush,Ó the red head winked at her again.  
Elena laughed, sheÕd missed them both so much. If only-If only Tseng were there to whiper ÒidiotÓ under his breathe, then, then theyÕd all be together again. She couldnÕt help but get a little smile and become a little misty eyed. Rude noticed, but elected not to mention it. There was a brief movement on the bed. The bald Turk turned his head and removed his sunglasses, icey blue eyes shone from their sockets with a seemingly supenatural glow.  
Lily was waking up. 


End file.

Final Fantasy VII, Romance